1. Growth in elderly population boosts debt Name________________________________
1. What percentage of Americans benefit from some social welfare program? What social programs are included in this
statistic?
2. In 1969, what percentage of the federal budget did Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare take up? How does that
compare to 2009?
3. Why does Paul Ryan argue that tax increases shouldn’t be used to pay for the programs?
4. How does Walberg propose changing the Social Security system? What does he say is the “real threat to Social
Security?
5. According to the National Research Council, what is needed to put our Federal budget on a sustainable path? Explain.
6. How high would American taxes need to go just to pay for the growth of Medicaid and Medicare in the year 2050
(barring no other changes)?
7. What is the biggest budget challenge?
8. What reasons does the article give for the increasing health care costs?
9. Why is Social Security an easier target for budget savings than health care?
10. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, what percentage of the elderly in Michigan would be living
in poverty without Social Security?
11. According to a survey by the AARP, how do Americans prefer to fix Social Security?